Paper Title
Identity Politics and Social Conflict in There Was A Country

Abstract
Identity politics has been accepted on the global fronts as an identitarian politics and a push by the perceived oppressed group of persons or any other social class to stream them to limelight in the face of social stratification, inequality, injustice, political imbalance and marginalisation or social alienation. As a complex social construct that influences personal identity and group social relations, identity politics is not a lone entity. It is both increasingly complex and increasingly central to social life, therefore improving its conceptualization and measurement is crucial for advancing research on identitarian politics. This paper is therefore a fresh proposal to re-conceptualise identity politics that reflects its social relevance in Nigeria: how social stratification and social exposures contribute to inequities. This conceptualization is intended to inform research on the social determinants of socio political inequities in Nigeria via Achebe’s There was a Country.